I was pondering the various clues that people use to categorize others into different classes here in the United States. If you think about it, SWPL is a prime example of how upper middle class urbanites identify themselves and others like them.
It struck me that one of the clues that the upper middle classes and higher use to differentiate themselves from the lower middle classes and below is straight white teeth. Orthodontia isn’t exactly cheap. Think about it though. Clothing isn’t a reliable indicator, neither is grooming. Both are still used to draw conclusions about a person without spending the time to converse with them.
So to get the conversation going, what are some other indicators of class that you believe people use as shortcuts for mental categorization. For those few readers in foreign lands, chime in with your own cultural clues. I’m curious how they differ across cultures.
